Milford, Souhegan ready to meet again

Both high school football teams from Milford and Souhegan can look to last season for motivation.

During the regular season, the Spartans snapped the Sabers’ 18-game winning streak by beating Souhegan for the first time in school history. The Sabers returned the favor in last year’s Division III playoffs by shutting out Milford 30-0.

The teams will meet Friday night in Amherst for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

“I think we both can look at the two different games as motivational tools,” Souhegan coach Mike Beliveau said of last season. “But we have a different kind of team, as do they.”

There are new faces getting the job done for both teams, but Milford (3-1 in division, 3-3 overall) still moves the ball on the ground and Souhegan (4-0, 5-1) still runs a spread offense.

“One thing that has always made their offense great was that you can’t key on any one kid,” Milford coach Keith Jones said of Souhegan. “(Steve) Jellison and (DJ) Petropulos were great talents, but they spread the ball around last year and they’re doing it this year.”

There have been games this season where Souhegan’s opponent has been able to stop the running game, but when that’s happened, the Sabers have been able to move the ball through the air.

“Sometimes teams come out and do something you don’t expect,” Beliveau said. “High school teams don’t have the luxury of having pictures come down from up above. With small programs like we are, guys go both ways and don’t have time to tell us what’s going on.”

It often takes until halftime for a team to completely adjust, which is what Souhegan’s defense did last week against Pembroke. In the first half, Pembroke found success on with its quarterback option, but the Sabers were able to contain the run in the second half.

If Souhegan isn’t able to slow down the run in the first half against Milford, there might not be enough time in the second half for any adjustments to work.

The Spartans were able to win a year ago by hanging on to the football and eating up the clock. And when the Sabers did finally get the ball, the defense stepped up.

“It’s clear to us that our job is stop the ground game,” Beliveau said. “A good ground game keeps our offense on the sideline and gives them confidence. They’re deep and they want to pound the football.”

Milford’s offense went over 300 yards on the ground again in last week’s win over Bedford after being held in check by Portsmouth the week before.

“We were fundamentally sound,” Jones said. “We certainly showed up to play (against Bedford). I was happy with the effort.”

While Souhegan’s defensive concerns rest on whether it can stop the running game, Milford has to find ways to limit the Sabers’ passing game.

The Spartans have given up yards in that area earlier in the year, and while Bedford quarterback James Caparell gained 142 yards through the air last week, he only completed half his passes.

“We keep trying to get better,” Jones said. “We keep working on our technique and trying to improve.”

With the top six teams in the division all playing each other this week – Hollis/Brookline hosts Bedford and Portsmouth plays at Goffstown – the playoff picture should become clearer by Sunday.

“I’m glad it is how it is,” Jones said of the division. “It’s nice to look at playing a big game every week.”

“I think this is what the NHIAA was striving for when it tried to balance the divisions,” Beliveau added. “It’s a pretty balanced league right now and we’ve got some teams battling back and forth.”